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The New Superchargers

The New Superchargers

Submitted by j3shika on Wed, 2013-06-12 15:50

As most of you may have heard, there will be more superchargers around the country. It's great; however, my friends, who are a bit "iffy" about Tesla, have asked me if superchargers are free. Now, I know they are free as it's stated that it's free for Model S; however, I'm not sure if it will be free for other future models. My friends said Tesla is a bad investment and they don't really see much in the future. I personally find it to be a great car and company but I didn't know if it really would stay free for all future models.

What do you all think-- Do you think it will stay free or do you think we'll start getting charged? Just a thought...

lbjack |
12 giugno 2013

This is on the Website:

FREE FOREVER
A properly equipped Model S can charge for free at any Supercharger, any time. Supercharging is included in every Model S with an 85 kWh battery, and can be added to any 60 kWh Model S for $2,000, or $2,500 if enabled after delivery.

uselesslogin |
12 giugno 2013

People generally think any company is a bad investment. Most people don't like risk. Tesla is a risk but if you believe in them it is worth it. Just don't put all your eggs in one basket. Personally I have a hard time figuring out how they won't succeed but I've been wrong before.

GeekEV |
12 giugno 2013

I believe Elon was quoted in the recent press announcement as having said they were committed to keeping them free for all Tesla owners. I can't help but think that means any supercharger equipped car, regardless of the model. He even expressed their willingness to work with other manufacturers if they desired, provided an appropriate contribution was made as they really want to keep it free. So, potentially, even non-Tesla card could use them for free as long as it's properly licensed technology.

JackB |
13 giugno 2013

If you assume the average driver goes 5000 miles a year on Superchargers (which is probably on the high side), and further assume that Tesla's average electricity cost is 10 cents per kWH, the electricity cost comes out to a misery $12.50 per month per car. The 10 cent per kWH figure is reasonable because Tesla can net meter as much solar power as necessary (they aren't limited to the Supercharger canopy area) by leasing land in the Mojave, becoming an IPP and selling to PG&E and other utilities who are starved for green power in the face of imposing mandates.

Over the next few years Tesla's electricity costs should be more than offset by the $2k hook up fees on 60 kWH Model S sales. Later on, when the installed base of Model S vehicles gets bigger, Tesla may still be able to offset the cost using green power credits, selling excess green power, or by selling solar power to the utilities at peak rates and buying it at off-peak rates using replaced Model S battery packs. But even if none of that becomes possible, Tesla may still be able to fully recover the electricity cost through some sort of monthly service fee paid by car owners, perhaps for LTE internet access or some other online service that car owners are more than happy to pay.

So yes, there is probably a way for Tesla to keep the free fuel offer around as long it wants.

Jack Bowers

Brian H |
13 giugno 2013

There has been no change in Elon's original plan: all electricity purchases and costs are handled by Solar City, at a profit due to solar power sales to utilities. TM is hands-off once the units are operational.

jamesd567 |
13 giugno 2013

The cost of the free fuel at the Supercharger stations is an advertising cost. Any S user will remind his ICE neighbors that his road trips are free :-)

the electrons at the SC stations will be free for quite a while.

its not that much. at 10% use by an S user, at $0.10 per kwh for 200K miles life of car, its $900

wcalvin |
14 giugno 2013

Not free but bundled into the car cost.

Apropos electricity cost, remember that medium-scale commercial rates are half of residential rates. In Seattle, it is $0.05/kwh vs 10.

Brian H |
14 giugno 2013

Not bundled into the car cost, but balanced by Solar City sales of array power output, on an ongoing basis, forever.

ORWA |
14 giugno 2013

I've listened interviews with Elon and others from Tesla and they seem to be very specific that Supercharging for Model S cars will be free forever. I've never once heard them say "Free forever for any Tesla car." I believe there is a big difference. I envision it being free forever for Model S owners but potentially charging future models to use them. I see them rewarding the early adopters by offering it for free forever to those that bought the first full production car (Model S).